Ever wanted to go to a concert to experience the embrace of your favourite songs but not wanting to deal with the crowd? I totally feel you. Sony has presented an alternative for us with their 360 Reality Audio over at CES 2019.
So what exactly is 360 Reality Audio? It is a new innovation by Sony where they use their very own object-based spatial audio technology to provide a listening experience just like being at a concert. Still confused? To put it simply, it is a way for music creators to create music that comes from many angles around the listener.
Artists map sounds such as vocals, chorus, instruments and more in their preferred angles and distance away from the listener with Sony’s Reality Audio Musical Ecosystem. Even music that has already been released can be converted into a 360 Reality Audio format which Sony plans to release soon for music distribution. Instead of the usual MP3 and MP4 formats, the 360 Reality Audio will be using the MPEG-H 3D audio.
Now, the question is, can my regular music players play this music? Sony is currently working on seeking potential devices to support their latest audio format with more emphasis on headphones and wireless speakers. There’s no need for special types of headphones to be created for 360 Reality Audio or even a special device.
However, Sony is currently creating an app which allows users to take a photo of their ears with their smartphones so that the app can analyze the user’s ears to create the best possible listening experience for them which honestly sounds kind of bizarre. As for wireless speakers, speakers that project sound in all directions can easily reproduce a 360 Reality Audio experience. So far, participating music distributors for the 360 Reality Audio include Deezer, nugs.net, Qobuz, and TIDAL by selecting “360 Reality Audio content” on the apps. Despite not needing special hardware to experience the 360 Reality Audio, Sony will be showcasing a prototype speaker system which does deliver a 360 Reality Audio experience. Alongside that, Sony also has also showcased a multi-speaker system consisting of 13 speakers and a demo of the MDR-Z7M2 headphones.
Besides that, Sony also unveiled a bunch of other interesting innovations over at CES 2019 as well. The first being the new BRAVIA MASTER Series’ lineup which are Sony’s first 8K LCD TVs which can convert images and video into 8K resolution and has 4 speakers on the top and bottom of the TV to complement the immersive 8K resolution. In addition, a brand new 4K TV was also introduced which features a slim design that is half the thickness of its predecessors.
Cameras were also part of the spotlight for Sony at CES 2019 with their brand now α9 and α7 series full-frame mirrorless cameras. Playstation got some love as well with Sony’s “Community of Interest” where visitors were able to try out PS4 and VR titles such as Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Gran Tourismo Sport. In addition, Sony’s robot, “aibo”, will be making an appearance at the booth as well.
Sony never ceases to amaze me with their innovations. However, the 360 Reality Audio kind of concept is something that is sort of done with some music, especially on headphones. However, I can’t really comment on it or compare the two before I try out the 360 Reality Audio myself. What do you think? Is it a gimmick? For more news on the latest innovations at CES 2019, make sure you check out TechNave.com!
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